We’ll start with the lowest, Kalnik mountain. With the peak Vranilac topping 643 meters, it is the lowest of these three gems north of Croatia. You can start from two different points. The first starting point is the center of the free world, a town named Ludbreg (read it here – link to TCN story from Paul). The legend says, and so do the locals, that Ludbreg is the center of the World - there’s even a road post to prove it. For those that like to explore churches and enjoy religious tourism, one can visit the Sanctity of the Blood of God where thousands gather every August for Holy mass.
Kalnik
Another possibility to start your route towards Kalnik is to embark from Varaždinske Toplice. A millennia old town with Roman thermal springs, this is our favorite location. Circling Kalnik you can even visit Ludbreg on the way back to heal your body and enjoy a hot dip and massage after the ride. (Story on Varaždinske Toplice Link). The Kalnik mountain itself isn’t a challenge. There is a paved road as well as numerous marked off road trails with a couple of mountain homes on the way. Near the top there is the Old town of Kalnik. There are also two more old forts, some of which are in the process of being repaired, and some that are decaying (but hopefully not for long). While riding to the top you can stop at the Mountain home Kalnik to rest 480 meters above sea level.
Ivanščica
If you’re still not tired, head 50 kilometers to the West and target the Ivanščica mountain which looms over the town of Ivanec and dominates the skyline. Ivanščica (1061m above sea level) is the tallest of the three mountains to cycle. It’s the tallest mountain of Northwestern Croatia that is 30km in length and 9km wide. There are many roads leading to and from, connecting Zagorje to Varaždin which make the climb and approach much easier. We always start from Ivanec but one could start from Zlatar as well and use many of the access roads. Ivanscica used to have an old army base at the top and still has radio towers. With good winds and a favorable position, the top is home to paragliders and you can still see the remains of an old, defunct, cable car system. If you start from Ivanec you have a short paved road to climb until the base of the mountain. Surrounded with forest and creeks you must prepare for the steep challenge ahead. At the base there is a spring with ice cold water where you can refill, organize and start your climbing adventure - the pavement doesn’t last for long. A hundred meters around the corner you will find gravel. The climb itself is steep, and especially the first part until you reach the ridge and circle the mountain on the way to the top. There are big climbs and wide gravel, but be wary of the cyclists going down and the occasional cars as the road is used by everyone.
While climbing you can see Slovenia, the Alps around Maribor on a sunny day, and even Hungary and lake Balaton glimmering in the distance. The climb itself is around 12 kilometers long and takes roughly two hours to finish, and maybe less for seasoned climbers. The mountain home on top works every day and can warm you up or cool you down with a cold one. The road down is much faster but as we mentioned before, be wary of the climbers and cars. KOM’s aren’t usually worthy of the risk.
Ivanscica is one of our favorite climbs, and one we return to regardless of the season. In winter there is a lot of snow, while the summers are hot, making it all a challenge.
Photo By SpeedyGonsales, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
